Conclusion Among so many fresh voices and expert perspectives, so many ideas for change and for further debate, one message was overwhelming: young people must remain central to the discussion. More than 60% of the Arab region’s population is under 28, and the burden of poverty, unemployment, institutional failure and unceasing political turmoil falls disproportionately on them. At the same time, they continue to pursue entrepreneurial aims, work towards change at the grassroots level, and find ways to make their voices heard. It is from the young, from their ideas and their tenacity, that we should take inspiration, and it is towards them that new forms of help, investment and support must be directed. Politically, economically, socially, the fate of young people across Europe and the Arab world are intertwined: the work to be done must strengthen the connections between them, and nurture the potential of Arab youth who have been held back, but who nonetheless have offered the rest of the world an example of dynamism and courage that will continue to bear fruit. ”We are going through a dark period, but a lot of people said that the future is very bright, and I do believe that… I like to quote a political science professor from the UAE who said that we are in the first five minutes of the Arab Spring.” Sultan Sooud al Qassemi 21
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